Introduction to Computers

What Is A Computer?
A computer is an electronic device that can accept data (input), manipulate data (process), and produce information (output) from the processing according to the instructions given by the user.

Devices that comprise a computer system

Monitor (output) Speaker (output)

System unit (processor, memory)

Printer (output)

Storage devices (CD-RW, Floppy, Hard disk, zip,) Scanner (input) Mouse (input) Keyboard (input)

Input Devices
Keyboard. Mouse.

The Keyboard
The most commonly used input device is the keyboard on which data is entered by manually keying in or typing certain keys. A keyboard typically has 101 or 105 keys.

The Mouse
Is a pointing device which is used to control the movement of a mouse pointer on the screen to make selections from the screen. A mouse has one to five buttons. The bottom of the mouse is flat and contains a mechanism that detects movement of the mouse.

The Central processing Unit

The central processing unit (CPU) contains electronic circuits that cause processing to occur. The CPU interprets instructions to the computer, performs the logical and arithmetic processing operations, and causes the input and output operations to occur. It is considered the brain of the computer.

Memory
Memory also called Random Access Memory or RAM (temporary memory) is the main memory of the computer. It consists of electronic components that store data including numbers, letters of the alphabet, graphics and sound. Any information stored in RAM is lost when the computer is turned off. Read Only Memory or ROM is memory that is etched on a chip that has start-up directions for your computer. It is permanent memory.
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Amount Of RAM In Computers

The amount of memory in computers is typically measured in megabytes or Gigabytes. One megabyte (MB) equals approximately one million locations. A memory location, or byte, usually stores one character. Therefore, a computer with 8 MB of memory can store approximately 8 million characters. One megabyte can hold approximately 500 pages of text information.

Output Devices
Output devices make the information resulting from the processing available for use. The two output devices more commonly used are the printer and the computer screen. The printer produces a hard copy of your output, and the computer screen produces a soft copy of your output.

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Storage Devices
Auxiliary storage devices are used to store data when they are not being used in memory. The most common types of auxiliary storage used on personal computers are floppy disks, hard disks, pen drives and CDROM drives.

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Floppy Disks
A floppy disk is a portable, inexpensive storage medium that consists of a thin, circular, flexible plastic disk with a magnetic coating enclosed in a square-shaped plastic shell.

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Structure Of Floppy Disks

Initially Floppy disks were 8-inches wide, they then shrank to 5.25 inches, and today the most widely used folly disks are 3.5 inches wide and can typically store 1.44 megabytes of data. A folly disk is a magnetic disk, which means that it used magnetic patterns to store data. Data in floppy disks can be read from and written to. Formatting is the process of preparing a disk for reading and writing. A track is a narrow recording band that forms a full circle on the surface of the disk.
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Hard Disks

Another form of auxiliary storage is a hard disk. A hard disk consists of one or more rigid metal plates coated with a metal oxide material that allows data to be magnetically recorded on the surface of the platters. The hard disk platters spin at a high rate of speed, typically 5400 to 7200 revolutions per minute (RPM). Storage capacities of hard disks for personal computers range from 40 GB to 1 TB (one billion bytes are called a gigabyte).
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Compact Discs

A compact disk (CD), also called an optical disc, is a flat round, portable storage medium that is usually 4.75 inch in diameter. A CD-ROM (read only memory), is a compact disc that used the same laser technology as audio CDs for recording music. In addition it can contain other types of data such as text, graphics, and video. The capacity of a CD-ROM is 650 MB of data.

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Computer Software
Computer software is the key to productive use of computers. Software can be categorized into two types:

Operating system software Application software.

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Operating System Software

Operating system software tells the computer how to perform the functions of loading, storing and executing an application and how to transfer data. Today, many computers use an operating system that has a graphical user interface (GUI) that provides visual clues such as icon symbols to help the user. Microsoft Windows 98 is a widely used graphical operating system. DOS (Disk Operating System) is an older but still widely used operating system that is text-based.

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Application Software
Application Software consists of programs that tell a computer how to produce information. Some of the more commonly used packages are:
Word processing Electronic spreadsheet Database Presentation graphics

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Word Processing

Word Processing software is used to create and print documents. A key advantage of word processing software is that users easily can make changes in documents.
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Electronic Spreadsheets

Electronic spreadsheet software allows the user to add, subtract, and perform user-defined calculations on rows and columns of numbers. These numbers can be changed and the spreadsheet quickly recalculates the new results.
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Database Software

Allows the user to enter, retrieve, and update data in an organized and efficient manner, with flexible inquiry and reporting capabilities.

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Presentation Graphics

Presentation graphic software allows the user to create documents called slides to be used in making the presentations. Using special projection devices, the slides display as they appear on the computer screen.
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Meaning of MIS

Management: "Management is the art of getting things done through and with people informally organised groups." Information System: Information System is a combination of people, hardware, software, communication devices, network and data resources that processes (can be storing, retrieving, transforming information) data and information for a specific purpose.
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Management: Management is the process of planning and regulating the activities of an enterprise. Information: Information consists of data that have been retrieved, processed. System: It is a set of element joined together for a common purppose.. 24

Definition of MIS

According to institute of Management Accounts, UK MIS is a system in which defined data are collected, processed and communicated to assist those responsible for the use of resource

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Role of Information System (IS)

Support Strategies for Competitive Advantage

Support Business Decision Making

Support Business Processes and Operation

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Changing Environment and its impact on Business

External Business 1.Internet Economy 2.Global Marketplace 3.Business Ecosystems 4.Faster Business Cycle

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Cont.
Internal Business 1.Self-Service 2.Real-time working 3.Team-Based Working 4.Outsourcing and Strategic Alliances

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Influence of IT on an Organization
Information technology and business are becoming inextricably interwoven. Categorization of IT in Organization: 1.Action versus no-action information 2.Recurring versus non-recurring information 3.Internal versus external information

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Classification on level of people and their needs

Strategic information Tactical Information Operational Information

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Attributes of information

Timeliness Appropriateness Accuracy Conciseness Frequency

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Information System

Information systems are implemented within an organization for the purpose of improving the effectiveness and efficiency of that organization.
Capabilities of the information system and characteristics of the organization, its work systems, its people, and its development and implementation methodologies together determine the extent to which that purpose is achieved
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Information System Activities

Input of data Resource Processing of data into Information Output of information products Storage of data resource Control of system Performance

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Types of Decision and Information

Programmed Decisions: A Programmed decision is one that is made repeatedly, on a routine basis, according to preestablished set of alternatives Non-Programmed Decision: It is new and unique for the decision maker, a decision made in a poorly structured situation one in which there are no preexisting, ready-made course of action
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